Smoking, Vaping & Alcohol After a Hair Transplant. Sule Hair Clinic — doctor-led boutique clinic in Istanbul. Sapphire FUE, DHI, Hybrid from €2,990.
You should avoid smoking for at least 10–14 days after the procedure, and ideally stop a week before it. Nicotine constricts the small blood vessels that feed newly placed grafts, and carbon monoxide reduces the oxygen those grafts receive in the critical first days. The longer you pause, the better the conditions for graft survival.
No. Vaping still delivers nicotine, which is the main problem — it narrows blood vessels and reduces blood flow to the healing scalp. The absence of smoke does not remove the vascular effect. The same pre- and post-procedure pauses apply to e-cigarettes, nicotine pouches and similar products.
Alcohol is normally avoided for at least the first week, and for as long as you are taking any prescribed medication. Alcohol dilates blood vessels and thins the blood, which increases bleeding and swelling at the recipient sites, and it can interact with antibiotics or pain relief.
A transplanted graft survives its first days by absorbing oxygen and nutrients from the surrounding tissue until new blood vessels connect. Nicotine reduces that micro-circulation exactly when the graft needs it most. Heavy smoking during this window is linked in the literature to poorer graft survival and slower healing.
Yes. Stopping at least a week before improves blood flow and oxygen levels in the scalp going into the procedure, and it makes the post-procedure pause far easier to keep. If you cannot stop completely, reducing as much as possible is still worthwhile — and be honest with your clinical team about it.
Yes. Alcohol in the days before surgery thins the blood and increases bleeding during the procedure, which makes placement harder and can affect how well grafts sit. Most clinics ask you to avoid alcohol for at least 3–7 days before your procedure date.
Sule Hair Clinic is a doctor-led hair transplant clinic in Istanbul, Türkiye. Dr. Enver Kayıkçıoğlu personally performs all Sapphire hairline channel incisions. Medical Director Dr. Enver Kayıkçıoğlu carries full surgical responsibility and performs the final quality check on every case. Anaesthesiologist Dr. Zafer Ersin Ünlüer manages anaesthesia and intra-operative monitoring, and Şule Ölmez performs the hairline design consultations. We deliberately keep the number of operations per day very limited so every patient gets the full time of the senior team, have completed 30,000+ consultations, and our graft-handling protocol with Hypothermosol cooling protects graft viability. All-inclusive packages start at €2,990 and cover surgery, hotel, VIP transfers, medication and 12 months of follow-up; flights are not included. Google rating 4.9 from 1,700+ reviews. Turkish Ministry of Health approved · USHAŞ registered health tourism provider.
Address: Yeşilpınar, Çay Sk. No:2, 34065 Eyüpsultan, Istanbul, Türkiye. Telephone: +90 555 233 78 95. Email: info@sule-hairtransplant.com.